


Overdue

by Jhinthony



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: During Canon, Gen, Minor Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22331692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jhinthony/pseuds/Jhinthony
Summary: After Inuyasha and Kagome parted ways a year ago, he had often been left alone with his spiraling thoughts. Especially nights like these, where her presence had felt most welcome, had turned his most lonely.Sesshomaru becomes an almost welcome visitor.____Set during the 3 year timeskip
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, InuYasha & Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 84





	Overdue

**Author's Note:**

> Oneshot based on a short comic I posted on tumblr a while back

Darkness had flooded the human settlement Inuyasha had begun calling his home. The stars shone brighter on a moonless night such as this but their glow did little to illuminate the forest floor; most of the dots of light were caught on the thick canopy above. 

Craning his head to get a better look at the sprawling canvas above. Inuyasha briefly wondered, as his much more human eyes strained to make out any individual stars, if Kagome was looking at the same night sky - half a century ahead. 

Whenever he had visited, it was quite difficult to see much of the night sky, lanterns shining brightly throughout in order to help any humans down in the streets to navigate the city. Sometimes Inuyasha wondered if Kagome would look up like he was right now and miss the unpolluted view that he was granted. 

Sometimes -  _ everyday _ \- he wondered if she missed him like he missed her. 

A calculated  _ snap _ of a twig not too far from where he was perched drew his attention from the sky down below to the forest floor, shrouded in darkness. Inuyasha's pupils wide, scanning the area for two reflective eyes he knew would catch his gaze if he caught them. 

His eyes narrowed at his older brother.  _ Half _ -brother, a voice not unlike that of the world offending youkai rang through his mind. He wondered is Sesshomaru even thought of him as that not nights like  _ these.  _ Perhaps he liked to play pretend - that if he somehow had gotten stuck like this so that no one would be able to tell their relation at all. 

He faintly remembers a time where someone had almost convinced him that that was something he wanted, too. 

Before his mind could trail off to think of past events only the dead would remember fondly, he called out to his brother. 

"What do you want?" His tone was a lot less biting than intended. Something Inuyasha could blame on being human, for sure. 

Realizing he had successfully caught Inuyasha's attention, Sesshomaru took another careful, much more silent step forward. Maybe as to not startle his little brother further. Inuyasha felt warmth creep up his neck at the gesture, wholly unused to being at the receiving end of Sesshomaru's rarely exhibited consideration. 

Such kindness was usually reserved for the human child, Rin, that had come to live with them in the village and which, Inuyasha noted, Sesshomaru should've finished visiting a while ago. Perhaps he hadn't quite been able to leave as early as intended. 

The warmth had finally crept its way up to his cheeks; mortification setting in as he realized he was actually  _ jealous _ of an eight year old child. 

"Hey, bastard,", the irony of the insult never quite fazed Inuyasha, "I'm talking to you!" 

Within the blink of an eye, Sesshomaru was standing on the branch Inuyasha had been perched on. Startled, he tried to keep his balance, knowing fully well that a fall from this height could cause serious injury or worse. So much for being considerate. 

Besides Inuyasha's flailing, the branch and its surrounding canopy remained still. There was no noticeable dip to the bough despite the sudden increase in weight, leaving Inuyasha to wonder if his brother was just exceptionally light or if he wasn't standing at all but much rather floating just above the branch. Because we can't let gravity do its damn job, anymore. Inuyasha huffed. 

On the other hand, perhaps Sesshomaru was just filled with hot instead of blood and guts like a normal person. That would at least explain the attitude. 

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his brother in faux confidence. Sesshomaru met his eyes once more, this time merely from the corner of his eye. 

Inuyasha was just about to speak again when Sesshomaru finally deemed him worthy of a reply. 

"I will speak with you.", his voice was low and deep. 

Inuyasha scoffed, indignant and unhappy about apparently having no say in the matter. 

Apparently taking his lack of a proper response as his cue to continue, Sesshomaru drew in another breath, 

"You didn't return to the village."

_ Huh? _

Where was this coming from? Trying to hide his very obvious confusion with mockery, Inuyasha grumbled, 

"Didn't know you had imposed a curfew. I can go whenever I feel like it." Sesshomaru glanced first at him, then at the ground below, halting for a second before continuing, "Can you?", his voice a perfect match of honest inquiry and insult. Great Inuyasha had advanced from a worthy opponent to a particularly stupid housecat in his brother's eyes. Before Inuyasha could make another retort, however Sesshomaru spoke up again. 

"This isn't what I came to discuss." Right. Sesshomaru wasn't one for idle chatter and it was probably obvious enough to him that he wasn't about to receive a straightforward answer. 

Stuck between curiosity and the desire to tell Sesshomaru off, he crossed his arms before supplying a curt, " _ Shoot _ ." What was that saying about curiosity again? Damn, maybe he  _ was _ a stupid housecat. 

Sesshomaru remained silent for an awfully long moment. Eyebrows drawn slightly together trying to craft what he was going to say next. 

In the meantime, while Sesshomaru was doing his mental gymnastics, Inuyasha was left to shift awkwardly in place, eyes dancing around the trees. Briefly, he wondered, if he had actually plummeted to his death hours ago and this now was somehow his own uncomfortable, interpersonal hell.

"I've come here in order to apologize." 

" _ Huh? _ ", Inuyasha sputtered intelligently, before adding, "The  _ fuck _ did you do??" 

Honest concern seeped into his slightly panicked voice. Inuyasha wouldn't put it past Sesshomaru to somehow accidentally murder everyone he cared about, drop a quick "sorry" and then leave forever. 

But Sesshomaru was still there, fixing him with a clearly annoyed glare. So, that probably wasn't it. 

Sesshomaru's mouth drew into a thin line, before he dragged out his next words. Inuyasha wondered how he managed to make his voice sound as if he was holding himself at gunpoint. 

"Not an apology regarding any  _ recent  _ events,", he paused briefly, possibly wondering how accurate his wording actually was before deciding to just stick with it, "I realize that in the past I have let -  _ anger _ -"  _ Jealousy _ . The more accurate descriptor hung unspoken between them. "Dictate my treatment of you. This, I seek to remedy." Another long pause. " _ I'm sorry _ ."

He didn't look at him when he said that which Inuyasha is ever so slightly thankful for. He could feel the muscles in his jaw slack just as Sesshomaru finished, gaping at his brother before he managed to catch himself. 

His voice was low but rough as it caught in his throat, "So, that's it? Now I'm supposed to forgive and forget?" Inuyasha knew that a part of him, not as deep down as you'd expect, really wanted to do just that. 

Now it was Sesshomaru's turn to scoff indignantly - perhaps they shared more DNA than either would want to acknowledge. 

"I'm not expecting you to do anything.", Sesshomaru's vocal performance regained its haughtiness, "Quite frankly, I don't care. This was obligatory." It feels like he cuts himself short. Inuyasha doesn't know if he's thankful for that.

Sesshomaru is smart enough to know that nothing he can do or say would just undo how he had treated his brother - it's unlikely he even cared that much. 

"Good night, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru was gone before the sound fully reached his ears, leaving Inuyasha alone again with even more muddled thoughts. 


End file.
